Machine for sorting punched cards mechanically and electrically



M. JACOB 2,097,764

LLY AND ELECTRI CAL-LY Nov. 2, 1937.

MACHINE FOR SORTING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICA Filed Dec. 9, 1933 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 L 4 ATTORNEY,

M. JACOB Nov. 2, 1937.

2,097,764 MACHINE- FOR SORTING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICALLY AND ELECTR ICALLY' Filed Dec. 9, 19s; 7 She etsSheet 2 Noyce TO Cob WI/1111 m.

Nov. 2, 1937. M. JACOB 2,097,764

MACHINE FOR SORTING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRIGALLY Filed Dec. 9, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 -/7/q/?CEL J79 c 05 INVENTOR & ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1937.

M. JACOB 2,097,764

MACHINE FOR SORTING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY Filed Dec. 9. 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 1% m as we m7 m2 I85 18;

l Marel Jacob INVENTQE,

C 1 m k QM A V.

M. JACOB Nov. 2, 1937.

Filed Dec. 9, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nazca JZ C o5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Nov. 2, 1937.

M. JACOB 2,097,764 MACHINE FOR SORTING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY Filed Dec. 9, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 fl 2/ J; 09' 9.9

I28 //.9 I20 /2/ lzz @147 I my legs E I 72.

m 8.9 my I4 Mame! To ob M. JACOB 2,097,764 MACHINE FOR SOR'i'ING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY Nov. 2, 1937.

7 Sheebs-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 9, 1933 t a 1 1 H Ila Marcel Tacflb INVENTO E vr-ry.

Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE MACHINE FOR SORTING PUNCHED CARDS MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY Application December 9, 1933, Serial No. 701,610 In France December 10, 1932 Claims.

Fig. 1 is a substantially transverse sectional view of the improved sorter; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the grid plates controlling the movements of the supporting levers;

Fig. 3 shows in perspective the action ofthe grid plates;

Fig. 4 represents diagrammatically the details 1.3. of the supporting levers and their movements;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the upper part of the supporting lever motions;

Fig. 6 shows the detail of the fork controlling the blades guiding the cards;

Fig. 7 is a view of the blades seen from underneath;

Fig. 8 shows in perspective the blades as they areraised by the fork;

Fig. 9 is a substantially longitudinal sectional 25 View of a modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 4;

Fig. is a transverse diagrammatic elevational detail of the selecting mechanism looking from the left in Fig. 9;

30 Fig. 11 is a plan view of the blades used in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 shows a cross section of the blades along the line 253 in Figure 11;

Fig. 13 shows the same cross section, but along the line ZDI in Figure 11;

35 Fig. 14 shows the same cross section, but along the line 232 in Figure 11;

Fig. 15 shows the same cross section, along the line 203 in Figurell;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the carriage of the card holder;

Fig. 17 shows the detail of the tilter of the carriage card holder;

Fig. 18 shows the mode of operation of this tilter in connection withthe rib of the frame;

Fig. 19 shows the group formed by the tilter and the lever that drives it;

Fig. 20 shows the spring which detains the cards while they are explored; r0. Fig. 21 shows the electrical reading or exploring oi the cards by means of a moving brush;

Fig. 22 is a circuit diagram of the relays and electro-magnets of the preceding device;

Fig. 23 shows the mechanical and electrical drive for the ratchet motions;

Fig. 24 shows the section of single selectors used when sorting in several columns simultaneously;

Fig. 25 shows the detail of an exploring needle used as commutator;

Fig. 26 shows the action of single selectors 5 when the cards are read electrically;

Fig. 27 is a device to compare relative values of two figures;

Fig. 28 is a diagram of the device used to insert the separation cards;

Fig. 29 shows the detail of the automatic hooking of the carriage card holder;

Fig. 30 is a circuit diagram for controlling the replacement of cards; and

Fig. 31 is the special needle used to find the 15 separation cards.

The sorting machine is constructed as follows:

A card feeder i (Fig. 1) moves the cards one at a time in the usual manner under a reading comb 2, consisting of four needles 3, 4, 5 and 6, assem- 20 bled on springs in a frame, laterally movable in order that it may be led above the card column to be sorted. Furthermore, in line with the lines of the holes of the card (underneath the punch holes) four plates 1, 8, 9, ll (Figs. 1 and 2) 25 rest on the rods II, l2, l3 and I4. These plates are held at their ends by small levers i! (Fig. 3) mounted on pivots l9 screwed to the frame of the sorter; they are held on a fixed horizontal plane by the rods etc., which rest on the bar l8 by 30 means of springs such as l5 and a ring l5. Finally, the lower ends of the rods |2, |3, |4 are, when not working, placed a fraction of a mm. above the four levers 23, 2|, 22 and 23.

Furthermore (Fig. 4), four parts of a parallelopiped 24, 25, 26, 21, and a fifth one 28, which is part of the frame, can, with the exception of 2B, which is fixed, slide one over the other. These parts are all pulled in the direction of the progress of the cards by the pairs of springs 23, 39, 3|, 32 (Figs. 4. and 5). The parts are normally held at the end of their stroke, corresponding to the taut position of the springs by the stops 31, 38, 39, 43, and the catches 33, 34, 35, 36. The latter are integral parts of the levers 23, 2|, 22, 23, respectively, the levers being pivoted at 4|, 42, 43, 44 on the parts 25, 26, 21, 28, and actuated by the springs 45, 46, 41, 48, when the catches 33, etc., free the stops 31, etc. The parts 24, 25, 26, 21 are moved by the springs 29, 30, 3|, 32 until they meet the stops 49, 50, 5|, 52 of the part immediately below.

The movement of the part 26 relatively to the part 21, is twice as long as that of the part 21 55 relatively to the frame, and the relative movement of the part 24 is double that of part 25.

It will be seen that the part 24 will move,

with respect to the frame, a distance equal to the sum of relative movements of the parts 24, 25, 26 and 21, and with respect to 25, 26, 21, 28. Furthermore, all numbers below 16 can be broken up into a series or sum of terms equal to 1, 2, 4, 8. To each number 1, 2, 16, a system of movements of the parts 24 21 corresponds, and vice versa. The part 24 has an extension 53 (Figs. '1, 4, 5, 6) in which a hole is bored (square for example) 54 and through which passes a rod of similar shape 55 having a shoulder 56 and held towards the lower end by a spring 51, resting on the screw head 58. This rod 55 ends at its upper part in a beveled fork 59.

The screw head 58 is placed a fraction of millimeter above a plate 95 (Fig. 1). By the means of a bell crank 6|, 92, driven by the cam 63 fixed on the main shaft of the sorter, plate 69 will be raised at the desired moment.

Then a cam 89 fixed on the main shaft operates, by means of a rod 99 and a lever 94, which at the desired moment returns the part 53 and then the parts 24, 25, 26, 27 into a position of rest against the stops 25, 26, 27' held, respectively, by 25,26, 21.

Furthermore, sixteen thin steel blades 65', 66 97, 68, which open into card compartments move above the fork 59, as shown in the at a distance through said hole, and after Figs. 4 and 7, the latter showing these blades as seen from below. Their shape is shown in Fig. 7;

' 5 they narrow down from a few centimeters at their extremity and end all in the vertical plane 69; However, the distances of the widening points at that extremityincrease proportionally to the number of the blade. Furthermore, the dis- ':tance between the widenings of two consecutive blades is equal to the movement d of the part 21. Finally, in its position of rest, the fork 59 is placed in the vertical plane I9, which is located ing of the blade 68.

From then on, the operation is as follows: when the card comes below the needles 3, 4, 5, 9, the frame and the comb 2 driven by the eccentric II and the connecting rod I2, which are lowered, the needles which meet a hole in the card, go 7 being locked, they bear on the grid plates I, 8, 9, I9. These plates actuatein turn some of the rods II, I2, I3, I4, which, by means of the levers 20, 2I, 22, 23, and the catches 33, 34, 35, 36, free one or more parts 24, 25, 29, 21. The rod 55 is moved in the same direction as the oards,'the length of motion de pending on the holes of the card that is being read. At this moment the cam 63 raises the plate 60 by means of the bell-crank 9 I; this plate has been moved, as will be explained below, be-

tween the two series of blades held apart by the fork 59. Then, the card fed in the usual manner by rolls or pushers will glide between the blades 65 .69, until it falls into the desired bin.

However, the cam 89 has actuated the lever 94,

and the parts 24, 25, 26,- 27 have returned to their position of rest: a new card can then be read, and so on.

The above described device may be modified so as to facilitate or permit an increase in the speed of operation. Accordingly, the partial assembly, according to Fig. 4, and the shape of the blades (Figs. 7 and 8) are changed as follows: the parts such as 24, 25, 26, 21, are divided into two identical series; one remains unaltered, whereas the other is placed perpendicularly to the first. In Figs. 9 and 10, the two first parts of these series are shown by I9I and I92 and the other twoby I93 and I94. The part I9I is extended and four rodsv I95, I96, I9'I, I98, pass 9) and seen in profile (Fig. 10); they slide vertically in I9I and are brought back individually downwards, by draw-springs such as 204. The part I93 is also extended and is fitted with a plate I99 the dimensions of which according to the plane of Fig. 9, are equal to the width of the rods I95, plus the total possible displacement of the parts I III and I92. The plate I99 is placed above a plate 95, which corresponds to plate 60 in Fig. 1 but is widened so as always to meet the plate I99 whatever the positions of the parts I93 and I94 may be. The parts 29, 2|, 22, 23 of these figures are actuated by the rods II, I2, I 3, I4 (Fig. 1) in the manner indicated above or in any suitable manner.

On the other hand the blades 66, 67, and 68' have been modified as will be shown in Figs. 11 to 15. They are not narrowed down as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, but holes of variable dimensions are bored through them; the upper blade is not bored at all, the blade that holds it, is bored along the axis 299 and of a single length; the two following blades are bored along the same axis and of double, triple length, respectively, and all the other blades have all a hole bored along the axis 290 and of a quadruple length, as is indicated in Fig. 12, which shows a cross section along the axis 299 of Fig. 11. In addition to these holes, the second series of four blades has holes bored along the axis ZOI (Fig. 13), and is similarly disposed. This applies as well tothe third series (Fig. 14) and the fourth series (Fig. 15). Then the rods I95 I98 are, respectively, in the plane of 209 293 and the movements of I9I are parallel with these planes.

The operation is as follows: the displaceemnt of the parts I93 and I94 along the plate I99, determines which one of rods I95, I96, I91, I98 will be raised and so chooses a series of four blades, while the displacement of the parts I9I and I92 determines in this series which blade will be raised.

The advantages of these devices over prior structures are that the maximum displacement of the rods I9! and I93 is limited to three units instead of 15; and that the speed of the entire device can thus be materially increased.

It is to be noted that the drive of the levers 29 23, whether it applies to the device of Fig. 4 or to the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10, can operate differently than that shown in Fig. 1, and particularly, this drive can be effected by using cards punched with only one hole per column. In this case as many exploring needles or rods are disposed per column, as there are possible positions to punch in that same column, and this needleor rods drive, by means of suitable 'devices, oneor many rods II I4, depending on the position of the perforation or punch.

, other grid 85 The displacement of the card canbe effected, until the final feed, very simply by means of a carriage card holder which is constructed as follows:

The carriage card holder consists of a plate :3 (Fig. 16) shaped like a grid without cross bars, the longitudinal bands being separated by twice the distance between two consecutive columns of the card. This plate has slides 14, which hold it in the frame of the sorter; it has extensions l5, retaining the cards in the stack when the carriage is in a forward position; it has a lever TI and the tilter I8. This tilter I8 is bent back at its lower end in 19 (Fig. 1'7). During the travel of the carriage IS, the dog 19 rests on the rib 80 of the frame (Fig. 18). The length of this rib is less than the length of the travel of the carriage 13, so that, at each end of the travel or the stroke, the dog I9 is freed of the rib 8%. Upon the start of the carriage I3, the dog I9 bumps against the extreme face of the rib 8!]. and whatever the direction of the carriage feed, the pivot ill of the tilter I8 is always ahead of the dog 19. The end 82 of the lever I1 is slightly longer than the surface of the carriage I3 (Fig. 19), when said lever obeys the action of the spring 83, which tends to make it turn around the screw (35, until it meets the stop 86 which is part of the carriage. During the backward movement of the carriage, the tilter under the action of the rib 8D, tilts the lever H, the head 82 of which disappears.

The feed spring '56 consists of a very flexible blade fixed at its center on the carriage I3 in order to overcome a possible adhesion of the cards. It has also two feeding embossings.

Fixed to the frame (between the needles 3, 4, 5, 6 and the grid plates '5, 8, 9, I59) there is an- (two bars of which are shown as an example, Fig. 16) identical with the one on the card holder but fixed. The distance between the bars is equal to double the separation between two columns of the card.

This carriage feeds a card in a forward movement untilit rests on the grid 86; during this movement, the card is pushed under two springs 81 (Fig. 20) (one on each side of the device) fixed at 88. Due to the provision of stop 95, the springs retain the card to remain on the grid 85 when the card holder backs up. During the period of rearward movement of the carriage, the tilter 18, after bumping against the ribtli), operates the lever H, in order that the nose 82 disappear and pass under the card that is being read on the grid 88, without hooking it at the end of its stroke. At the completion. of the rearward movement of the carriage the tilter i8 is freed and. the nose 82 comes up. When the carriage resumes its forward movement, a new card is fed by means of a spring I6 and the preceding card will be pushed by the nose 82 until it is taken be tween two rolls or fed through fingers fixed on an endless chain.

The purely mechanical operation of this device necessitates that the card stop. This inconvenience can be avoided if the reading is done elec trically. To that end, the card taken by the rolls 96 when it leaves the card holder, is passed under a reading brush 9? (Fig. 21). In order to allow the card to pass more rapidly while allowing sufficient timefor the holes under the brush, the latter is held by a bar 9% which moves on slides 89 and which is moved along the slides. by a cam E83, fixed on the shaft of the device by means of a lever Iill. If the cam I has a suitable profile, the relative speed of the card and the brush can be sufficiently decreased during the reading so that the relays will have sufiicient time to function.

The main shaft carries a distributor I02 (Fig. 22) and its brush I83 engages the contacts I04, I05, I35, I61, while the four lines of holes of the card pass under the brush 9-1. The current flows from the source I88 through the brush I03, terminals IM to I01 to one of two windings of the relays Hi9, Hll, HI, H2; then it returns to the source through the brush 9? and the holes of the card. The relays IE9 to H2 close through their secondary winding,a holding circuit in H3, H4, H5, I56, H1, H8, and in H4, I23, I24, I25, I26, the energizing circuit of the electro-magnets HQ, IZII, I2I, I22; these last electro-magnets actuate, respectively, the levers 2E) .23 and thus replace the rods II Id. The balance of the device is identical with that of Figs. 1 and 4 or 9. An interrupter I21 connected in the return wire common to all the electro-magnets opens'for an instant at the opportune moment, under the control of a finger I28 fixed on the main shaft.

An interrupter, which can be short circuited, is provided at I41 and I48.

The electro-magnets H9, I20, I2I, I22 are assembled as it is shown for one of them in Fig. 23; its armature I29 rests on the lever 29 (Figs. 1, 4 and 9) furthermore, a cam I33, fixed on the main shaft, makes the armature rest upon the core, by means of rods I30 and I32, and of the bell crank I3I this mechanical contact lasts only for a very short time and takes place as soon as the relays I09, H0, III, H2, have functioned and during the action of the cam 89' on the lever 94. The energized electro-magnets will continue to free the parts 26, 25, 26, 21, after the setting back of the lever 94, while the others will have let go their armature before this set back.

As soon as the parts 24, 25, 2S, 2? have moved, the finger I28 opens the circuit of the electromagnets and relays, and all the parts return to the original position.

This kind of device, whether the reading be mechanicalor electrical, lends itself to adaptation in a speed counter; it will be necessary to equip the part 59 with a knife I34 (Fig. 6) which, when the plate is raised, will press on a bell crank I35, acting by means of rods or wires on a speed counter I35; a similar mounting will be provided for each one of the possible positions of the part 59. An obvious variation must be provided in the case of the device shown in Figs. 9 to 15.

To operate the sorting means on several columns at a time, i. e., to sort only cards in which a certain number of columns has been predetermined, the other cards going into the reject compartment XVI, the following device is used:

It has been seen above that the parts 2 3, 25, 25, 21, were brought back to their original position by means of the cam 89, the rod 96 and the lever 94. After passing the shoulder embossing of the cam 89, the lever 94 returns to its original position under the action of a spring. If, then, rod 90 is blocked, the lever 94 stays in its working position and the parts 24 21, being unable to move, the part 59 raises no blade; all the cards travel then to the end compartment XVI. The same result will be obtained in blocking the rod 62, because the plate 60 will not rise; one can choose the modification best suited for the practical application of the device.

The rod 90 (Fig. 24) has a slot I31, in which a bolt I39 engages, held by the armature of the electro-magnet I38. It will be clear that if that electro-magnet is not energized when the cam 89 frees the rod 98, the latter will remain blocked by the bolt I39 which will be raised under the action of the spring I89 at the moment when the slot I3! above it is passed. When the magnet is energized the rod 98 will respond to a spring and will free the parts 28, 25, 26, 21.

In the case of mechanical reading, the card holder in the shape of a grid allows the card to be explored by needles or feelers going through the holes of the cards. The individual selectors may be freed by means of relays. For this purpose, each needle 3 is equipped with a sheath consisting of a middle part MI of conductive material disposed between two insulated parts I42 and I43 (see Fig. 25). Three small springs I44, I45, I46, act as the contacts of the relays. In the lower position of the needle, the springs I45 and I46 are short circuited by the sheath I II, thereby closing a circuit through a relay which frees the selector corresponding to the lowered needle. In the higher position, the two springs I44 and I45 are short circuited and close a circuit through the electro-magnet I38 (Fig. 24) in order to free the push back arm 99.

In case the reading is carried out by means of brushes and electro-magnets (assembly of Fig. 22), an arrangement can be used, as shown in Fig. 26, in which the relays I89 to H2 of that figure take the place of the relays I89 to H2 of Fig. 22; their return wire being connected to the brush 9? of the column to be fixed in advance; as to the secondary circuit formed by studs of the contacts, it Will sufiice to insert it in I 8?, M8, in the return wire to the electro-magnets H9 to I22. If several columns are prepared, the relays must all be mounted as described above and all the secondary circuits will be placed in series together.

In case the reading is done mechanically, the device compares the relative values of two numbers preferably modified as follows (Fig. 27):

For each column, a series of four needles such as I86, I8I, I82, I83 are provided, each forming a commutator due to an insulated sheath conductor placed between two insulated sheaths, and two identical series or" four resistances I84, I85, I86, I87, and I84, I85, I86, I81, the values of which are as follows:

These resistances are connected to the springs coming into contact with the needles I86, I 8! I82, I88, as the figure indicates, that is:

In the lower position of the needles (position assumed in Fig. 27) I The needle I89 short-circuits the resistance I8I I8I short-circuits the resistance I86 I82 short-circuits the resistance I85 I83 short-circuits the resistance I84 In the high position of the needles:

I The free end of the resistance I84 is connected at I88 to a contact of the source of current, and the free end of the resistance I84 at I89 to the other contact, while the free ends of the resistances I8! and I81 are united in a point I90, which point will be connected to a terminal of a polarized electro-magnet.

Disregarding the disturbance created by the introduction in the circuit of the winding of that electro-magnet, it will be evident that whatever the position of the needles, the total resistance inserted between I88 and I89 is constant, and is equal to 151. Under these conditions, if 15V designates the tension between the terminal I88 and I89, and V1 isthe tension between I88 and I98, V2 is the tension between I99 and I89, the following is obtained when the four needles are in the lower position:

V1=15V V2=0 Needle I 83 alone raised, V1=14V Vz=V I82 alone raised, V1=13V V2=2V V I 8I alone raised, V1=11V V2=4V The needle I89 rises alone V1=7 V V2=8V Then this device constitutes a potentiometer which gives for each combination of holes, passing under the needle, a tension which increases in arithmetical progression between the points I89 and I 98 for example, and decreases equally between I90 and I88.

In case of electrical reading, the same device can be used, but it would be necessary to replace the commutators carried by the needles I88, I8I, I82, I83, by relays. However, these relays would have the advantage over those of the first men tioned device, that they are identical and act only as bipolar interrupters their armature would be lighter.

The device disclosed in said French Patent 619,625 and which permits simultaneous sorting on several columns, has the great advantage to give in one passage through a sorter a group ,of perfectly and finally sorted cards without altering the order of the other cards. After use the cards contained in that group must be refiled in their original order. In the case where the group consists only of a few cards, the refiling can be done manually without the aid of the sorter. However, if a great number of cards are to be refiled or where the manual work becomes tedious and may lead to errors, even if written indications appear on the card, it will be necessary to put through all the cards to file them together with those which had remained in order, so that all will find their respective consecutive order. Several sortings are thus necessary and either a device is used to automatically insert the cards to refile them in their proper places, or to aid materially in the manual refiling. The description of such device follows: a

When the cards of a certain group are sorted (sorting on one or several columns) other cards easily distinguished by difierent colors, or preferably by their thickness or their sizes are inserted therein. The more simple method of identification would be to use ordinary cards but without providing them with asymmetric notches. These cards will be called separation cards.

Let us suppose, for example, that the various compartments are disposed in such a way that No. XVI (Figs. 1 and 28) which corresponds to the reject compartment at the extreme end of the sorter. At a suitable distance of this compartment, XVI, a card distributor I58 is placed and is actuated by a shaft I5 I. This shaft receives its movement from the main shaft, by means of a pinion or of a chain. It is therefore necessary that each time a card drops into a compartment other than compartment XVI (reject) a separation card be taken into the distributor I56, to replace the card that has dropped. Certain devices actuate the card holder I56 (Fig. 28) for that purpose. A diagram of this device is shown in Fig. 28 and on a larger scale in Fig. 29. The see-saw movement driving the carriage is produced by a crank button I52, carried by a plate held on the main shaft of the sorter and penetrating in the vertical slot I53 of the connecting rod I54. The latter, suitably guided horizontally, normally interlocks with the lug I55 which is a part of the carriage card holder by means of the tilter I56 articulated at I51. This tilter can assume two extreme positions, limited by the stops such as I58 and I59 against which it is maintained by the spring I66, which is tied at I6I on the connecting rod I54 and which is situated on the vertical line of the pivot I51 and above it. Finally, two stops one I62 movable as will be explained, the other I63 fixed on the frame have for their object the tilting of the part I56.

It has been seen that for a card to be sorted it was necessary that the electro-magnet I38 (Fig. 24) be fed with current. A derivation of this current will be used to obtain the desired displacement of the stop I62. To this end, the stop I62 is provided on the lever I64, and is urged by the spring I68 to turn around the pivot I65 fixed to the frame; this lever ends in I66 by a ratchet-motion held by the spring I61 and forming the armature of electro-magnet I69; in the position of ratchet-motion, the tilter I56 bumps against the lug I62; in the contrary case, the tilter passes freely above the lug. Then if the electromagnet I69 does not receive any current, the tilter I56 bumps against the lug, freeing the part I 55 and the carriage will not be driven any more by the connecting rod I54, during its return movement.

During this movement, the embossing I10, acting on the lever I64 latches it with the spring I61, then the tilter I56 bumping against the button I63, takes back the hooking position of the bolt I55. This hooking can be done, (if the electro-magnet I69 receives current) because the parts I55 and I56 are beveled; at the time of their hooking, the spring I66 acts, but not sufficiently for the tilting of the tilter I56.

The button crank I52 must be fixed and the distance between the compartment XVI and the distributor I56 must be determined in such a way that when the electro-magnet I69 receives its current at a definite moment, the separation card arrives in the compartment XVI at the same moment when the selected card would have arrived.

A slight modification of the preceding device will permit the automatic substitution of certain cards for others. Let us suppose that the cards to be taken out of the file have the same punches or holes in certain columns as the cards which are to replace in the file the cards taken out. For instance, in the case of a card upon which all available columns have been used and it is necessary to replace said card by another one, bearing the same identification numbers as the first one. Let us take, first the sort on one column. To that end, a system of reading combs I1I (Fig. 28) is added to the distributor I56. The mounting must be such that, as long as the sorting parameter, 1. e., the cipher inserted in the sorting column, of the card being read under the auxiliary combs Hi, the electro-magnets I38 and I69 receive no current, but receiv v current when the two parameters coincide,

To that end, it will sufiice, to replace the hand circuit closers in the usual mounting of the electro-magnets mentioned above, by those that are borne by the needles I (Fig. 25). The assembly will be as shown in Fig. 30. Let us call the needles of the normal comb 2: A, B, C, D, and those of the comb III: A, B, C, D. The current coming from the source arrives in I12 to the central brush of needle A; the exterior brushes of A are united to those of A. The same applies to B and B, C and C, D and D. Furthermore, the central brushes of B and A are connected together as well as C and B, and D and C. Finally, the central brush I13 of D is connected with the exterior circuit, that is, with the electro-magnets I69 and I38. Clearly, in order that the current pass through the electro-magnets I66 and I58, the positions of the needles A, B, C, D, must be identical to the positions of A, B, C, D, and the current will not be able to pass.

Under these conditions, when the card to be sorted and the one which awaits sorting under the combs I1I are identical as far as the columns of sorting are concerned, the first card drops into a compartment other than the reject compartment and the second card goes into the latter compartment.

Generally, when several columns are sorted simultaneously it will be necessary to have as many comparing combs as there are columns to sort. The exit brush, such as I13 of the first series is connected with the entry brush (rod I12) of the second series, etc.

It will be often advantageous that all the cards taken out need not be sorted (the sorting without interest in the preceding case, for example, since the parameter of sorting is predetermined), but assembled into the same compartment. This operation can be effected by joining the rods II, I2, I3, I4, which will free the catches 33, 35, 35, 36 and the parts 25 to 21.

It remains now to consider the refiling of the cards taken out. If they are few, the simplest method will be the hand filing which will be easily done due to the indication of the separation cards. When the cards are numerous, let us first assume that separation cards have been inserted, the frame will have in a fixed position a needle I16 (Fig. 31) resting on the upper edge of the cards at a point outside the punching area of the cards. At this particular point, the separation cards will be punched, the grid plate 1 will have a projection I15, so that, it will be lowered by the needle I14 when a separation card passes, and only in that case. Furthermore, in I16, I16, a double brush acts as an interrupter. The latter is normally closed when the needle I14 is in its upper position, but opens when this needle rises, an insulated ring I11, coming be tween the springs I16, I16, which form the double brush. This interrupter is connected with the circuit of the electro-magnet I66. If the cards to be refiled have been placed in the reserve of the distributor I56, each time that a separation card will pass under the comb 2 this card will fall in the compartment VIII corresponding to the displacement of the only part 2 1 of Fig. 4, while a card to be refiled, will replace it in the compartment reject.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for sorting punched cards, which comprises in combination, a plurality of bins for said cards, means for conveying said cards one by one toward said bins, a plurality of movable blades lying across the path of travel of said cards,

' said blades being so connected With said bins relongitudinal direction of said holes each step corresponding to one blade, the maximum depth of "one, hole being smaller than the minimum depth of the adjacent hole by a difference equal to the thickness of a blade, a support movable in a horizontal direction parallelly to said holes, a plurality of elements vertically slidable in said support disposed in a line transverse to each of said holes, means for controlling the position of said support with respect to said blades, a vertically slidable element movable in a horizontal direction at right angles to the direction of displacement of said support, means for controlling the position of said element in the last mentioned direction, reading means operative by the perforations in said cards for controlling both the last mentioned means and the displacements of said support, and means operatively interconnected with the means for conveying the cards for moving said element in the vertical direction.

2. A machine for sorting punched cards, which comprises in combination, a plurality of bins for said cards, means for conveying said cards one by one toward said bins, a plurality of movable blades moving across the path of travel of said cards, said blades being so connected with said bins respectively that the lifting of one blade causes the next card moving toward said blade to fall into the corresponding bin, vertically movable means adapted to occupy any of a plurality of positions in a horizontal plane for lifting said blades respectively, means including a plurality of superposed organs slidable horizontally with respect to one another, elastic means for urging all of said organs in the same direction, catches for maintaining said organs in determined relative positions, and fingers for releasing said catches, for controlling the position of the vertically movable means, a plurality of needles located across the path of travel of said cards, means for urging said needles toward said cards, rods, operative by said needles when the latter are positioned opposite V respective perforations of the cards, for acting on saidfingers, said blades being so shaped and so disposed with respect to one another and to said vertically movable means that for each different position of said vertically movable means in a horizontal plane a different blade is adapted to be lifted by said vertically movable means, and means, operatively interconnected with the means for conveying the cards, for moving said vertically movable means in the vertical direction.

3. A machine forsorting punched cards, which comprises in combination, a plurality of bins for said cards, means for conveying said cards one by one toward said bins, a plurality of movable blades adapted to be brought across the path of travel of said cards, said blades being so connected with said bins respectively that the lifting of one blade causes the next card moving toward said blade to fall into the corresponding bin, vertically movable means, adapted to occupy any of a plurality of positions in a horizontal plane, for lifting said blades respectively, means, including a plurality of superposed organs slidable horizontally with respect to one another, elastic means for urging all of said organs in the same,

direction, catches for maintaining said organs in determined relative positions, and fingers for releasing said catches, for controlling the position of said vertically movable means, a source of electric current, a distributor including a plurality of contacts and a brush adapted to move along said contacts, means, operatively interconnected with the means for conveying said cards, for moving said brush along said contacts, a plurality of relays connected with said contacts respectively, a circuit connecting said relays in parallel to said source of current, a brush in said circuit adapted to co-act with said cards so as to close or open said circuit according as there is or there is not a perforation in the card passing in contact with said brush, means controlled by said relays for actuating said fingers respectively, said blades being so shaped and so disposed with respect to one another and to said vertically movable means that for each difierent position of said vertically movable means in a horizontal plane a different blade is adapted to be lifted by said vertically movable means, and. means, operatively interconnected with the means for conveying the cards, for moving said vertically movable means in the vertical direction.

4. A machine for sorting punched cards, which comprises in combination a plurality of compartments for said cards, means for conveying said cards one by one toward said compartments, a plurality of movable blades along the path of travel of said cards, said blades being so connected with said compartments respectively, that the bringing of one blade across said path of travel causes the next card moving toward said blade to drop into the corresponding compartment, a stationary support, a series of organs, slidably supported by one another in directions parallel to a given plane, mounted on said support, a movable member integral with the last organ of said series of organs, means operative by the perforations in said cards for fixing the relative positions of said slidable organs with respect to one another respectively, whereby said member can be brought opposite any of these blades, said member being movable, with respect to said last organ of the series in a direction transverse to said plane so as to be able to bring the blade opposite which it is located across the'path of travel of the cards, means operatively interconnected with the means for conveying the cards for moving said member with respect to said last organ of the series, two adjacent successive organs of the series being so connected that they can occupy only two different positions with respect to each other, the values of the distances'between these two positions for the successive groups of two adjacent organs of the series forming a geometric progression.

5. A machine for sorting punched cards, which comprises in combination, a plurality of compartments for said cards, means for conveying said cards one by one toward said compartments, a plurality of movable blades along the path of travel of said cards, said blades being so connected with said compartments respectively, that the lifting of one blade across said path of travel, causes the next card moving toward said blade to drop in the corresponding compartment, a stationary support, a series of organs, slidably supported by one another in horizontal directions, mounted on said support, a vertically movable member supported by the last organ of this series, means operative by the perforations in said cards for fixing the relative positions of said slidable organs with respect to one another respectively, whereby said member can he brought under any of these blades, and means, operatively interconnected with the means for conveying the cards, for moving said member vertically with respect to said last member of the series, two adjacent successive organs of the series being so connected together that they can occupy only two difierent positions with respect to each other, the values of the distances between these two positions for the successive groups of two adjacent crgans of the series forming a geometric progression.

MARCEL JACOB. 

